Sheet control for folding mechanism



Nov. 20., 1923.

FQHERB SHEET CONTROL FOR FOLDING MECHANISM Filed May 24 1921 '2- Sheets-Sheet 1 F.HERB

SHEET CONTROL FOR FOLDING MECHANISM Filed May 24. 19213 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED srarss FREDERICK HERB,

rarsur ojFFtcE.

HOE AND (10., OF NEW SHEET CONTROL FOR FOLDING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 24,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known .that I, FREDERIGK.HERB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookl 11, county of Kings, and State of New ork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet Controls for Folding Mechanism, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices for forwarding webs or sheets cut therefrom.

In certain types of sheet handling mechanisms, as for instance, in rotary folders, a web is forwarded to the folding-cylinder and. between it and a cooperating abutment, usu ally a cutting or a cutting and collecting cylinder which act to cut sheets from the web. Such folding cylinders are provided withsheet taking devices which may be in the form of pins. Where such sheet taking devices are employed the pins take the head of each sheet which is then attached to the web and carry it partially around the cylinder. s the pins take the sheet around, a sheet length is cut from the web, but as the sheet passes between the folding cylinder and the cooperating cutting cylinder it tends to drag, with the liability of the sheet tear ing at the pins. Furthermore,'there may occur a slack in the web which would cause the cutting cylinders to operate too soon and to produce What is technically known as a high cut. I

It is frequently desirable in folding products that a product be collected or a.plu-' rality of webs be associated andsheets cut therefrom, and the associated sheets folded or collected and folded depending on the character of the product required. Thus in folding mechanisms required to handle products varying from one ply to a considerable number of plies these products pass between the folding cylinder and its co-opcrating abutment It is the especial object of the present invention to provide a construction by which a friction device is provided for assisting the pins or. other sheet taking devices to ad Vance the product, these friction devices being yieldingly mounted so as to act equally well with products of varying thicknesses from one ply to any desired number of plies 1921. Serial No. 472,202.

within the capacity of the folder, .these friction devices also tending to keep the web taut and thus prevent high cutting.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a simple and efiicient structure for this purpose and one which can be employed without changing or d isarranging the usual folding and cutting cylinders em loyed in conjunction with certain classes of printing machines.

With these and other objects not specifically referred to, the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations which will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings which show a preferred form of the invention, and the novel features of the invention will then be pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring now to these drawings- Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section and part1 broken away showing the invention, as emp oyed with a construction in which sheets are cut from a web.

Figure 2 is a side view of so much of a rotary folder as is necessary for an understanding of the invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged i cale the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 4 is a detail, partly broken away plan view, 011 an enlarged scale of one of the yielding friction devices employed; and

I Figure ,5 is a section taken on line 5"5 of ig. a.

. Referring now to these drawings, the invention has been illustrated as employed in connection with a printing machine in which sheets are cut from a printed web and folded. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable for handling a web and sheets cut therefrom from a source other than a printing machine.

Referring now to these drawings 1 indicates a frame work of any suitable character for supporting the parts, the frame work being arranged at the folder end of a printing machine, not illustrated, a former being shown over which a web, indicated b W is led between the usual drawing off rol s 3, 4, which act to give the web one longitudinal fold.

In the particular construction illustrated, the web W has sheets cut therefrom and the cut sheets are folded by a rotary folder. As illustrated, such a folder is provided in the form of a cylinder 7 supported on a shaft 8 suitablyjournaled in side frames 1 of the machine, before referred to. This cylinder is provided with sheet. holding devices in the form of pins 9, 10, these pins being arranged in sets. In the particular construction shown the folding cylinder is capacitated to take two sheets around and two sets of pins 9, 10 are provided, these pins being carried in arms 11, 12 on operating shafts 13, 14. The folding is effected by a rotary blade 15 carried on a shaft 16, this blade tucking the product to be folded into folding ofl rolls 17, 18. From the folding off rolls the product is taken by a fly delivery 19 and deposited thereby on a travelling carrier indicated as belts 20. The folding blade is operated as is usual in this type of folder' by means of a gear 21 mounted on the end of the folding blade shaft, this gear meshing with an internal gear 22 fixedly mounted in the frame of the machine.

(lo-operating with the folding cylinder is an abutment between which and the cylinder the sheet is forwarded. In the particular construction illustrated where sheets are to be cut from the web, this abutment is in the formof a cylinder 23, which is provided with a cutting blade 24: which co-operates with the usual cutting woods 25 mounted on thefolding cylinder 7. As shown the cylinder 23 isalso a collecting cylinder being half the diameter of the folding cylinder 7. and is for this purpose provided with sheet taking devices in the form of pins 26 carried on arms 27 mounted on shaft 28. It will be understood that when collecting, one of the sets of pins, as pins 9, will be silenced, as is usual in such constructions.

In the operation of a folding mechanism of this type, the leading end of the web is taken by one of the sets of pins, as pins 9, and carried part way around the cylinder 7. As it gets to folding off position the cutting blade 24 operates to severthe sheet. The pins, therefore, carry the sheet length around and the whole strain of carrying is atthe pins. In case of a slight jam, and particularly where multiply products are being manipulated tears or other injury to the sheets are very liable to happen. In accordance with the invention friction means are provided for engaging the sheets and assisting the pins to carry the sheet lengths to folding off position so as to relieve the strain on the sheets. These friction means are mounted to have a yielding movement so that products of varying thicknesses may be engaged with and forwarded. \Vhile various means may be employed for effecting this, in thebest construction these friction means will be arranged just in advance of the pins or other sheet taking devices so as to frictionally engage the product as it iasses between the folding cylinder and cutting cylinder and act to draw the web along and thus both assist the pins and keep the web taut. In the best constructions, furthermore, these friction devices will be so dimensioned and arranged as to bear on the web at the margin points, that is, at points between the printed surfaces so as to avoid smutting of the web by the frictional contact.

In the particular construction illustrated there are provided friction devices which are in the form of bearer blocks 29. These bearer blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, are narrow strips of steel'or other suitable material, preferably having a friction surface. These bearers may be mounted in either the cylinder 7 or its co-operating abutment, as cylinder 23, but as shown are supported in the cylinder 7, and at each end thereof. These friction bearers may be held in position in any suitable manner, as by stops 30 hearing on the ends of the blocks. The friction bearers are mounted in slots or recesses, indicated at 31, formed in the cylinder walls, these recesses'being deep enough to permit the friction bearers to have a play therein. These bearers tend to engage the web and act with the abutment to assist in shoving the web along as it passes between the two cylinders. To accommodiate products of different thicknesses these bearers are yieldingly mounted so that they will retreat inwardly as a product increases in thickness. \Vhile this may be effected in various ways, the recess 31, before referred to, has undercut portions, indicated at 32, in which seat springs 33, two such springs for each bearer being shown. With this construction the bearers are forced outwardly into contact with the cutting cylinder as far as the thickness of the web will ermit' it to go, and a good efficient contact with the product is provided as will be seen.

These bearers will preferably, as shown, be arranged in sets, these sets being I in number the same as the sets of sheet taking devices. 1

With this construction of bearers, various products may be manipulated by the folding mechanism and advanced so as to avoid injury thereto. As for instance, a second web IV may be associated with the web W, such web being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. and being sent into the folder over a guide roll 34 supported in brackets 35 depending from the frame of. the machine. These associated webs may have the sheets cut therefrom or associated sheets may be collected and a collected product forwarded and folded as may be desired.

The folding cylinder may be driven in any suitable manner, as from a miter gear 36 on the cylinder shaft. The cylinder shaft at its other end also carries a gear 37 which meshes with a gear 38 on the end of the shaft 39 of one of the folding off rolls, as the roll 17, before referred to. The rolls 1?, 18 are intergeared by gears 40 so as to rotate together in opposite directions to fold off the product-s tucked between them by the folding blade. The sheet taking ins of the folding cylinder may be operate in any usual manner as by cam rolls 41 on the shafts 13, 14, before referred to, these rolls operating in a groove of a cam 42 secured to the frame of the machine.

With the constructibn shown and described, a very efficient means has been provided for manipulating sheets so as to assist the sheet taking devices in advancing the sheet to the folding point, thus relieving the strain 011 the sheets and preventing liability of injury thereto. While the specific form of the friction bearers is that preferred, it will be understood that various forms might be employed and mounted so as to have a yielding movement, and it will be understood that the invention will include such changes and variations as may be made in the form and seating of the friction bearers.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices, of a cooperating abutment between which and the carrier :1 product passes, and bodily yielding friction devices carried by one of the members for engaging the product to assist in advancing it.

2. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheettaking pins, of a cooperating abutment between which and the carrier a product passes, and bodily yielding friction devices carried by one of the members for engaging a product to assist the pins in advancing it.

3. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices, of a cooperating cylinder between which and the carrier a product passes, and bodily'yielding friction devices carried by one of the parts for engaging the product to assist in advancing it.

4. The combination with a rotary carrier havin sheet taking pins, of a cooperating cylinr er between which and the carrier a product passes, and bodily yielding friction devices carried by one of the parts for engaging a sheet to assist the pins in advancing it.

5. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices thereon arranged in sets, a cooperating abutment between which and the carrier a product passes, and bodily movable spring seated friction devices arranged in sets and carried by one of the members for engaging the product to assist in advancing it.

6. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices arranged in sets. of' a cooperating cylinder between which and the carrier a product passes, and bodily movable spring seated blocks having curved sheet engaging faces carried by one of the members for engaging a product to assist in advancing it.

7. The combination with a rotary folding cylinder, a plurality of sheet taking devices carried thereon arranged in sets, a cooperating c linder between which and the folding cy inder a sheet passes, and yielding friction devices arranged on the cylinder in advance of the sheet taking devices for engaging the sheet to assist the sheet taking devices in advancing it.

8. The combination of a rotary folding cylinder, a plurality of sheet taking devices carried thereon arranged in sets, a cooperating cylinder between which and the carrier a sheet passes, and spring seated friction devices arranged in sets in advance of the sheet taking devices for engaging a sheet to assist in advancing it.

9. The combination with a rotary folding cylinder, of sheet taking devices thereon, a cooperating cutting cylinder between which and the folding cylinder a sheet passes, and yielding devices carried by the folding cylinder in advance of the sheet taking devices for engaging a sheet to assist in advancing it.

10. The combination with a rotary folding cylinder, of sheet taking devices thereon. a cooperating cutting cylinder between which and the folding cylinder a sheet passes, and spring seated bearers having friction faces carried by the folding cylinder in advance of the sheet taking devices for engaging a sheet to assist in advancing it.

11. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices, of a cooperating abutment, means for forwarding a product of one or more plies between the members, and friction devices carried by one of the members for engaging a product to advance it, and means for permitting the friction devices having a bodily yielding movement to accommodate products of various numbers of piles.

12. The combination with a rotary carrier having sheet taking devices, of a cooperating abutment, means for forwarding a product of one or more plies between the members, bodily movable friction devices carried by one of the members for engaging a product to advance it, and springs on which the friction devices are seated so as to compensate for different thicknesses of products.

13. The combination with a folding cylinder provided with sheet taking devices, of a cutting cylinder between which a web is advanced to cut it into sheets, and bodily movable spring seated friction devices engaging the margin of a sheet to assist in advancing it.

14. The combination with web forwarding devices, a carrier having sheet taking devices, means for cutting sheets from the web, and bodily movable friction devices engaging with the web before and after the cut to assist in advancing the web and the 10 sheet cut therefrom.

15. the combination with web forwarding emme devices, of a carrier having sheet taking devices a co-operating abutment between which and the carrier the Web passes, cutting mechanism for cutting sheets from the Web, and bodily yielding friction devices engaging the Web before the cut to assist in advancing it.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK HERB. 

